Forget the World
by celesticbliss
Summary: A small scene that would take place during Catching Fire. Peeta and Katniss are on the rooftop, trying to say goodbye. FAGE 4 fic written for Indie!


_FAGEtastic Four_

_Title: Forget the World_

_Written for: Indie Cullen_

_Written By: Celesticbliss_

_Rating: M_

**_Summary/Prompt used: Katniss & Peeta set to tune of Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars_**

_If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group: Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox._

_ community/Fagetastic_Four/98339/_

_Indie- I'm so happy I got to write this for you! I'm truly sorry it's not longer, but I couldn't pass up writing this scene and I felt it was something that needed to be short and sweet. Your prompts practically screamed for this! Any longer and it wouldn't have the impact I wanted. I hope you enjoy it!_

* * *

_We'll do it all_

_Everything_

_On our own_

_We don't need_

_Anything_

_Or anyone_

_If I lay here_

_If I just lay here_

_Would you lie with me and just forget the world?_

_I don't quite know_

_How to say_

_How I feel_

_Those three words_

_Are said too much_

_They're not enough_

_(lyrics by Snow Patrol)_

_..._

.

.

.

"_I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever." _

I paused to let his words sink in fully. They had so much meaning, more meaning than any simple phrase should. Of course I wished the same. If it were possible to freeze time in this candid moment away from everything, I would. High above the capitol, with the stars above us, away from everyone who expected me to be something.

With the only person who expected me to be...well, me.

On that quiet rooftop, I surrendered to my feelings for a short time. I let District Twelve fall away; my mother, Prim, Gale.

The games were my inevitable demise, to come in a few short hours, but they, too, took a back seat to the moment; Cinna, Haymitch, and Effie a foggy thought in comparison to Peeta's warmth next to me.

I'd fought every feeling I had for him so hard I had to remind myself that night I would soon be dead. He'd live on to remember me and our time here, and I didn't want him to remember a girl who didn't know how to love back.

His words crumbled a wall I'd fought so strongly to build.

"Peeta, I..." I closed my mouth and shook my head. How could I tell him what I felt when I didn't know the right words? He held my gaze, not letting me escape, waiting patiently for me to finish.

I let my eyes fall and focus on his lips.

I'd kissed him before, plenty of times, but always for somebody else. Always with an audience. Could I do it now? Just for us?

I leaned forward, and closed my eyes. A whispered, "Katniss," escaped his lips just before I covered them with my own.

His hands reached up, finding purchase on my face. Each hand holding me in place, making sure I didn't escape.

I reached up as well, grasping his shirt in my fist, the other on the side of his neck.

We kissed to a soft, slow tempo, taking turns showing our desperation. Peeta's arms encircled me, pulling me flush against him. The heat we created between us contrasted harshly to the cool night air.

Despite being on an empty rooftop, I felt exposed to the Capitol.

I pulled away from Peeta, only to be met with a look of confusion and pain in his eyes.

I shook my head and smiled, assuring him I wasn't having second thoughts. I knew what I wanted. What I needed for my last night outside of the Arena.

"Come to my room with me?" I whispered the question, afraid my voice would magically carry to ears I didn't want to think about.

He nodded and stood, then reached down for my hand. I grasped it, and let him lead me inside.

...

"I'll be right back," I told him when I locked my door behind us, "you can sit down if you want."

He gave me a small smile, and sat on the edge of my full-sized bed while I headed for the bathroom. When I closed the door behind me, he had picked up the silver remote to play with the hologram on the window.

I stepped in front of the mirror, and took in a sharp breath. My lips were full and my cheeks were flushed. I stared at my reflection as if I were studying the face of a stranger. Looking for something familiar in her face, trying to find similar ground.

I wouldn't find any common ground tonight. My mind was made up, and I decided to let my life behind me go.

I grasped the tie at the end of my long braid and pulled, then fingered the knots; letting my black hair free.

Once out of its binds, my hair fell nearly to my waist, in soft waves caused from drying in its normal braid.

Peeta had a habit of toying with the frayed end when it was bound, so I had a feeling he'd like it down and free.

I took off my coat and shoes, wearing only my thin pants and a bright colored tank top. I wasn't entirely sure how I was supposed to do this; the thought of trying to seduce Peeta made me feel cheap.

This wasn't about sex, or lust. It was about love and saying goodbye.

Hell, all of Panem thought I was pregnant already. This is what they were expecting us to do anyway.

I shook the thought out of my head quickly.

No.

This wasn't about them anymore. I'd been playing their games for too long as it was, and I'd have to play it again tomorrow if I wanted Peeta to stay alive.

With one final nod to the newly confident version of myself in the mirror, I opened the door to my room. Peeta was now sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed and staring at the window. The hologram he chose was a night sky, the constellations shining bright. Brighter than the Capitol, of course, and even brighter than back home.

I walked over to him and took a seat on the floor.

"Ever seen anything like it?" Peeta asked, glancing over to me briefly, then back at the screen.

"Hmm...no, I can't say I have. Do you know the names?" I asked, leaning against him.

He readjusted to put his arm around me. I fit against him perfectly, my earlier feeling of nervousness dissipated quickly.

He squeezed his arm, silently telling him that he, too, noticed how well we molded together.

"Not many. My dad told me a few growing up, but even he was foggy on some of the names."

"Which ones do you know?" I asked, and listened intently while he pointed out shapes in the bright lights and named them.

The Capitol never found it necessary for Panem to be taught the constellations. Much like many other subjects in school, they found it to be frivolous. I often wondered why they hadn't abolished school all together for the districts, and forced us to work from a younger age.

"I'm a little surprised you don't know these, Katniss," Peeta laughed and squeezed my arm again, "I'm a little proud that I can finally teach you something."

I looked up at him and smiled, opening my mouth for a comeback. But when he looked down and our eyes met, I knew it wasn't the time to continue our normal banter. The night had caught up with us, and we both remembered where we'd be in twelve hour's time.

"Peeta, I..."

He shook his head and sat up to his knees. I started to ask him where he was going, until he held both of his hands out to me. I took them and he pulled me up slightly, sitting me on the bed.

He stayed on his knees, and with the bed being on a low platform, it put him right in front of me, at the perfect height for his lips to capture mine.

A soft moan of surprise sounded from my chest, a sound that gave him unspoken permission to continue. I grasped onto his shirt with both hands and tugged, lying back and taking him with me.

Peeta used his elbows to prop himself up, and I immediately flushed when he used the height to look me over. He chuckled softly. "I don't think I've ever seen you blush, Katniss."

I smirked, thankful for his inability to keep things serious. It was just like him to lift the mood, even in a time like this. His head swooped down and he placed a small kiss on my forehead, then my eyelids, forcing them to flutter closed and let my other senses take over.

I felt his lips on my jaw next, moving up the contoured line, and ending at the spot just below my ear.

"Let me love you." His words were barely audible. If his lips had been any other place than brushing against my ear, I wouldn't have heard him.

I nodded, ready to give myself to him. The entire world faded in the background when he stood up to remove his clothes, giving me the opportunity to remove mine. The act was sort of beautiful, both of us readying ourselves for the other. My flush spread, reaching my toes, I was sure. I could hear his breath, heavy and labored, while he flawlessly undid every snap and button.

When he finished, he paused and looked at me for confirmation to continue. I smiled and he wasted no more time joining me.

We had no other focus but each other. We needed no words to express how and what we were feeling. The phrases most people used would fall short in our moment, knowing this would be our one and only time together.

We took turns exploring each other, with our hands, our lips, our bodies. He was gentle, but the essence of need wasn't absent in either of us. It was a mutual understanding. It was the one and biggest thing that made the most sense between us.

When we joined together as one, I doubted one could find where I ended, and he began. We were finally what everyone already thought, and what we'd been pretending to be.

Too bad it was our inevitable doom that had finally brought us together. We were too late.

We found a euphoric release, clinging together. My eyes burned with tears. His face buried in the crook of my neck while he tried to take control of his breathing.

Neither of us made the move to separate.

We feel asleep that night, entangled in each other's arms.

...

"Rise and shine!" Effie's shrill voice snatched me away from my slumber. Her heels clicked obnoxiously throughout my room while she cleared the hologram from my window and let the sunshine in.

"It's your big day, Katniss!"

I gasped out loud when the fog cleared my brain and I realized what had taken place here mere hours before. I clutched the sheet to my torso and sat up, wondering when Peeta had left.

A small note was left in place of him; I snatched it up before Effie could take notice. She was already back in the common quarters of the small apartment, so I had a moment to read it.

A moment was all I needed.

"Goodbye, Katniss."

It read, plain and clear. Though the sentiment was exactly what we were saying to each other last night, without speaking at all, it still burned inside of my chest to see it written out. But today I had no time to dwell.

I wrapped the sheet around myself, grabbed my clothes, and went for the bathroom. It was time to put on my facade. No more Katniss, the love-struck girl from District 12.

Today was the day the Girl on Fire would be extinguished so The Boy with the Bread could live on.

"Goodbye, Peeta," I whispered out before I dressed and went to meet with Cinna.

* * *

A/N: As always, a million thanks to my beautiful beta AcrossTheSkyInStars!


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